Lonely Thinking
by Mellaithwen
Summary: Goes in sync with Chris Crossed. Chris' thoughts during the events of the episode, and extensions added. Chris centric.
1. Chapter 1

**Lonely Thinking**

**By Mellaithwen**

**Rating: K+**

**Genre: Angst**

**Disclaimer: '"It's a sore subject, don't ask."'**

**Summary: Goes in sync with Chris-Crossed. Chris' thoughts during the events of the episode, and extensions added.**

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"What are you guys talking about?" I ask politely, not really waiting for an answer

"Stuff." Phoebe says simply, not wanting to repeat much of it to me, obviously.

"Hey, where you going?" Paige asked me as I continued to walk into the backroom.

"I'm gonna go work on the next demon….stration!" I quickly recover after realizing the club iss full of people.

"Chris, why don't you relax and come have a drink with us." They ask, and I turn them down.

"Thanks, but I didn't come here to relax." I say curtly, and walk away.

I walk across the distance weaving my way through the dancing civilians around me.

I open the door, and turn on the light. I see her. Sitting in the chair, sitting almost rigid. She's different, but its her. I can't explain it, the first thing I think when I see her is 'be careful' but then seeing her move, seeing her stare back at me, like she was waiting, nothing else matters anymore. All I know is her.

I close the door behind me, saying her name under my breath as though I've been keeping it under lock and key for months.

"Bianca…"

She stands up and I move towards her just as she does the same, but I don't get it.

"I don't understand. What are you doing here?" I ask, and she puts a finger on my lips, trailing down my chest.

"Shh. There'll be time to explain later." She says almost patronizingly.

"But for now…"

She looks at me, really looks at me, and she's not there, I don't see her as I once knew her, she's different, she's cruel, hurtful. She's turned. He's turned her back.

The pain spreading from my chest. I look down and there's a light from where her hand is in my chest. The pain is too much and I sink to the floor. I don't understand. I can only look at her in disbelief, my face contorted in agony. She's taking my powers, and I can't cry out, I don't have the strength.

"Hey, Chris, you know, all work and no- hey!" I hear Piper say as she enters, shouting the last word upon realizing the situation.

There's a sudden reprieve followed by a terrible ache as she removes her hand and powers up an energy ball.

It hurts so much, and I barely see her disappear as Piper blasts her away. I slide down the wall, gasping, my chest on fire.

"Are you ok?" Piper asks, now in my eye-line.

I take a breath. No point in worrying them, or getting them suspicious. I take another breath and answer, with my best I'm-fine-really-voice

"Yeah. I think so." Though air is still short.

"What happened? Who was she?" Piper asks, and I wonder if there's concern in her query.

"I don't know."

Another lie, to add to the increasingly long lists of the things.

* * *

Paige looks through the Book Of Shadows and Piper discards one of her suggestions as to what demon she could have been, from its distinctive birthmark. 

I pace the floor nervously, if they find out who she is, then everything could unravel, I can't lose their trust again when I barely have it now. Not to mention I can feel Leo's eyes on me, watching as I try to make it look like it's no big deal.

"Just keep looking." Piper says, and still I wonder why she's doing this.

"Guys, I'm telling you, I'm fine. Don't sweat it." I say, knowing it won't throw them, but trying none the less. Leo ignores me, asking if Piper's sure it wasn't a Darklighter. Piper's sure. So am I.

"What else would be after a Whitelighter?"

Ha, but that's the thing isn't, dear Aunt Phoebe. The million dollar questi-

"I don't know. That's what worries me."

I hide the snort that in any other circumstance would definitely have come out. He's _worried_. Yeah right. After months of him hating me and not trying to hide it, suddenly he's worried.

"She's gone." I sigh, hating my own words. "Piper blew her away. What's the big deal?"

Please just let it go, it's my problem not yours. Just don't get involved, please!

"The big deal is someone tried to kill you, Chris."

Phoebe says my name like it means something, other than a pushy Whitelighter, sending them after demons all of the time.

"Look at me." I answer cockily. "Not a scratch. Nothing."

She rolls her eyes as I open my jacket to prove my point. Glad they can't see the pain I'm going through.

"Yeah, how did she get that close to you anyway, if you didn't even know who she was?"

Ah my father, the suspicious pacifist, joy to the world. But I don't know how to answer. Just then I walk over the floor, the creaky board still squeaking under any foot that crosses it.

"You really ought to fix that, you know." I say looking down at it, before looking again at Leo. It's obvious what I'm trying to do.

"Come on, Chris. Who's after you?" Again they say my name like it means something to them.

"Has it crossed your mind that maybe she wasn't after me? Maybe she was trying to get to them." I say, my arms indicating the Charmed ones, and Paige squeezes her face, as though she isn't entirely happy with agreeing me, but can't dismiss it either.

"Kind of makes sense." She says and inside I sigh.

"Finally! Somebody's listening to me." Now if I can just get out of her before I collapse…

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some work to take care of."

I walk away from them and their doubtful looks.

I walk down the hallway, telling myself to not need the wall for support as I walk down the winding stairs that seem to go on forever and a day. Each step, again and again, and again, making me dizzy as I make my way to the bathroom, not sure if I'm going to throw up or not.

I blunder in, switching the light on, and I see that simply moving from the attic to the bathroom was not a good idea. My face, mirrored, staring back at me, perspiration dripping down, my skin pale, my eyes dropping slightly, glazing over slowly.

I open my shirt, looking at my chest in horror at the huge mark lying there, red and screaming. I button my shirt up again, taking my eyes away from the festering wound.

I bow my head, memories filtering through. I reach for my pocket and take out the ring, taking my eyes off of the mirror only to look at it.

_Sirens fill the air, smells of burning as the city falls in ruins all around us. The bridge destroyed behind us as we sit in the garden, dawn is breaking as I place the ring on her finger._

_She looks at the ring and then back up to me, smiling_

"_Will you marry me?" I ask carefully, meaning every word, wanting more than anything for her to say Yes._

"_You're asking me now?" She says skeptically while smiling, surpised._

_I nod. _

"_Here?"_

"_This is still our spot, Bianca, no matter what he's done to it." I say. "Marry me." _

_I don't want to push her, but technically she has yet to agree._

"_On one condition; You come back to me." I laugh at the simplicity_

"_Safely." She adds, and I wonder if that's possible anymore._

"_Have I ever let you down before?" I avoid an answer, but I hope she doesn't notice. I stare at her beautiful eyes, and we kiss._

_And then it's ruined by whirrs in the distance. She breaks away from me, looking around._

"_What's that?" She asks, and I look too. Then I see it, a probe flying over the wall, straight towards us, its lights scanning Bianca's face._

"_Chris!" She cried but I'm already on it. I throw my hand to the side and it flies straight for the old angel statue, exploding. _

"_Are you ok?" I ask seeing her take deep breaths_

"_Yeah. Yeah. I don't think it had time to transmit." She says simply, her hands in her lap. I get to my feat, the anger pulsing through me._

"_I cannot believe he's sending probes after us now! I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch!"_

"_No." She's on her feet now too. "No, you're not. You're gonna stick to the plan."_

"_But he knows." I answer lamely, almost scared._

"_No. If he knew, he wouldn't have sent the probe. You have to go back, Chris. It's the only way to stop him. It's the only way to change all this." Her eyes are pleading, and I close mine._

I look away as I press the ring deep into my pocket, I'm not sure the pain inside hurting me more than the wound she inflicted.

I hear Leo talking to Piper and I know I can't stay here, I can't stand the thought of one or both of them asking me sincerely to let them help. Its too hard to lie when its that person. I orb away, knowing only one place that I'd find peace.

As I orb I feel weaker and weaker, and as I reach the arboretum I gasp in pain and only just manage to land on the concrete bench, and even then I still haven't orbed fully.

I can't help hoping it will look like this, beautiful with the full bridge in its backdrop if I succeed. Though that's looking less and less likely.

"You really shouldn't try to orb anymore, you know? It could kill you." She says, no remorse in her tone, as she steps from behind the angel statue. I knew she was there, but that didn't stop me.

"Is that what you want?" He asked, angry at her attitude.

"If that's what I wanted, you'd already be dead." She said cruelly. "All I want is to bring you back."

"How'd you know I'd be here?" He asked, his mind growing hazy.

"Same reason you knew I'd be waiting here. I mean, this is still our spot, isn't it?" She doesn't say it wistfully, or meaningfully. She's mocking me, provoking me.

I shake my head.

"No. This is what we hoped it would be. This is what we were trying to preserve for our future. Do you remember?"

"We were naive to think we could change anything, to stop him."

"You don't believe that."

Does she? I look at her, and I'm proven wrong.

"Or at least you didn't."

Before…

"Well, I do now."

I sigh. I've lost her.

"What happened to you, Bianca? How did he turn you back?" I'm curious, I'm angry. I want her to say it's a trick, that she can't stop herself, that he's used a spell, anything but the blatant truth staring me right in the face.

"That's not important. What is important is that I was interrupted in stripping you of your powers, and if I don't finish what I started, you'll die soon. Think of it as an infection. And I'm the only one with the antidote."

She sounds way too please with herself.

"Here or there, I am dead anyway."

Resigned to my fate.

"No. He gave me his word he wouldn't hurt you. Now, please, Chris, don't make this any harder than it has to be."

His word, his _word. _When has that ever meant anything to anyone? He aligns himself with demons, he's a cold blooded killer, he's dragged the Halliwell name through mud, and for what? Power that's what, him and his one track mind.

I look her in the face, defying her. I orb away, as much as it hurts me to do so, and I'm worried I'll be too slow, but she's too late to grab me.

I fall to the floor, I can barely move, not bothering to look around. I know where I am, at least I think I do, everything's muddled. I can't open my eyes, I'm burning but there aren't any flames.

"Chris!" I hear a faint cry, and something, someone moves me, but all I can see is her, taunting me, changing from The Phoenix to the Bianca I used to know.

"Bianca."

I'm moving, but I'm not, it's not me, I'm being lifted, and there's a tingling in my chest, but it's barely there.

I shift from side to side, muttering her name, trapped in the memory.

_We're waiting outside, I look up at the house, the manor. Remembering coming home and there'd always be someone at the door. Mom, Wyatt, Aunt Phoebe or Paige. Never dad though, letters on birthdays, and that was it. That was my dad. _

_The people in front are muttering. All excited to finally get to see this spectacle. The manor where magic lies. That was the tag-line. 'See where The Charmed ones lived, and died'_

_I shudder, and Bianca holds on tightly. _

_I hate him for doing this. He's taken everything from me. I have nothing left. No home, no family, any friends he finds he kills. I'm always looking over my shoulder. Always reminded of him being there. This wasn't sibling rivalry. This was cruelty._

"_Welcome to the Halliwell Memorial Museum ." The chirpy tour guide announces as she leads us up the steps and through the front door. If I squint, I can almost believe it's a house, a home. My home. If it wasn't for the rooms being cornered off by red barriers. If it wasn't for every little thing being explained on a card next to it, hidden behind glass. _

_If I try, really, truly try, I can see them. Walking past me, smiling, announcing a need to go somewhere or to get something. Greeting me happily. _

_I have to keep my mind on the present._

"_A tribute to magic, and, of course, The Charmed Ones. Please remember there is no digi-capturing, no holographing, and most certainly, no magic allowed while inside the museum. That's a big one." She chuckles, and I have the urge to throttle her. "Don't worry about those probes, folks. They are merely scanning for witches."_

_She moves along, and the group is scanned. _

"_Now, as we pass through the foyer, note the family portraits hanging on the walls which date all the way back to the witch trials, including one of the grand matriarch herself, Melinda Warren, the woman who literally gave birth to the storied legacy."_

_As the people walk by, the probes come near, we trail behind, and with a wave of my hand, the probes begin to scan a mannequin in the corner._

"_Nicely done." Bianca compliments and I keep my head down as we follow the tour guide and the rest of the group. _

_We walk into the sitting room, but everything's different. The furniture's different, moved, gone, and in its place stand statues, modeling. I feel disgusted, something that will only increase._

"_Around you, you'll notice just a few of the many mythological creatures the legendary sisters transformed into in their demon-fighting heyday. Actually, The Charmed Ones were responsible for well over 1,000 demon vanquishes before they were finally vanquished themselves."_

_And what business is that of yours? What right do you have to talk about them like that, like they're nothing more than a story. They're my family for gods sake!_

_She hits a button, and the lights dim. Her voice once again continues to talk, patronizing._

"_Now, the time is 25 years ago. Imagine yourselves standing here on this very floor when The Charmed Ones were reborn."_

_A large holographic screen appears and I see the images, I want to look away, but I don't. I watch as a light shines down on Aunt Paige, as she stands in a circle with Mom, and Aunt Phoebe. The light goes away, and Paige looks startled, she asks what that was and Leo simply says "I think that means you're supposed to be here."_

_There's a crash and the hologram shows the door flying open, a demon materializing from the wind. As the wind clears, and the audience gets a good view of him, they scream, all of them scared. But I don't even flinch. It doesn't scare me, only one thing does, though I'll never admit it, and he's the reason this damn place is open._

_With a switch the hologram disappears and the lights come back on._

"_Scares 'em every time."_

_Go to hell._

"_Ok, let's head over to the kitchen where many of the sisters' classic potions were brewed. Some of which are available for purchase in the gift shop on the way out." _

_We follow her, waiting._

"_Of course, the attic was the preferred spot for potion-making, principally, because that's where kept the famed Book of Shadows which is where we're headed next."_

_She walks away from the kitchen, the group following her like sheep._

"_A little background on the manor itself. It was actually destroyed in the earthquake in 1906, but..." And her voice trails away, along with the group, leaving Bianca and me in the kitchen. _

"_Hey, you two, move along." A demon from behind says and Bianca whispers to me to wait for it. A knife appears in her hand, and the demon persists._

"_Are you deaf? I said-." And she stabs him, he burns alive, fire taking him down in a pile of dust and smoke._

_I can only stare, surprised at the efficiency of the kill, something that has always worried me._

_She continued to walk past me, and opens the door to the basement. She looks back at me, and I catch up with her._

_Still she holds on to the knife as she looks around, alert, I walk slower, taking a seat on the bottom steps._

_When she turns around, the knife has vanished into thin air, and I'm left staring on the stairs._

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Lonely Thinking**

**By Mellaithwen**

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**Rating: K+**

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**Genre: Angst**

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**Disclaimer: '"Ok. Do you have to keep rubbing that in?"'**

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**Summary: Goes in sync with Chris-Crossed. Chris' thoughts during the events of the episode, and extensions added.**

**Thank you to Emma15 and shadowhisper for reviewing**

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**Part 2**

"_We should be safe here until the museum closes." She sighed. "Then, we'll go get the book."_

_She turns to look at me, concern etched into her beautiful features. _

"_What's the matter?"_

_I look at her now, so different to a moment ago, her very demeanor changed as she destroyed that demon. _

"_Nothing. It's just sometimes I forget who you really are."_

_Who she really is the Bianca I know or the Phoenix?_

"_Hey. Come here." She's nothing like what she was in the kitchen. She takes my hand and pulls me to my feet._

"_You mean who I used to be, Chris, before I met you."_

"_So…" I say, breaking the comfortable silence. "What do we do now?"_

_She looks at me, as if thinking something over and she stands bac slightly._

"_We say good-bye."_

_She opens her shirt and takes it off, I lean forward and we kiss, she drops her red shirt to the ground._

* * *

_I lay on the cold ground, but I don't care, if anything, the cool touch soothes me in the stuffy basement. I've never liked it down here. _

"_You okay?" Bianca asks, sensing my unease._

"_I got lost down here once."_

_She looks at me waiting to carry on but I don't. _

"_I think it's safe to go out there now." She says, clearing her throat, and we both get up from the ground, and edge out of the basement, through the kitchen. The only noise that can be heard are our own breaths, and the whirring as the holograms stay powered on. _

_We walk up the second floor stairs, and onto the landing leading the attic stairs._

_Mom always told me to be careful if I ever went up to the attic, which though wasn't forbidden, it was still frowned upon. The __stairs were dangerous, that's how Grams died. Great Grams. Last time I saw her was when she was summoned for Wyatt's sixteenth birthday...long time ago._

"_What do I tell them?" I ask as we approach the door._

"_Don't tell them anything." She says as she looks around cautiously._

_I follow her into the room, staring blankly at the red ropes cordoning off areas._

"_Just stick to your cover story. The less they know about the future, the better."_

_I picture them, I stand with hidden emotions and as they ask question upon question, I answer with a simple 'Future Consequences' that could work…_

"_Well, what if they find out who I really am?"_

_What if they hate me?_

_We step through the restricted area._

"_They won't not as long as you can pass yourself off as their Whitelighter."_

_Orbing, just gotta orb. Then it occurs to me, I can't even heal!_

"_And you're sure I won't lose my powers when I go back?"_

"_Yeah, not with this spell. That's why we need it. Look, just remember: Protect baby Wyatt, and you protect The Charmed Ones. Keep them alive for our future."_

_As if I don't want to. I roll my eyes._

"_Great. No pressure there."_

_I step towards her, the loose floorboard creaking beneath my feet. _

_"Chris, you know you're the only one who can do this. You're the only one who can save us."_

_No pressure there either._

"_If I make it back."_

"_Baby, you have to make it back." She smiles again. "If you want to marry me." I love her, I love her so much, we kiss._

"_You really know how to motivate a guy, you know that?"_

_She laughs that sweet laugh._

_We stand next to the holographic image, she passes her hand through the "Book"_

"_Sure you can summon the real book?"_

_Of course, hell, it belongs to every Halliwell._

"_Yeah._

"_Away from him?"_

"_Yeah." I say, though it's me that needs the reassurance. I think I can do it, I hope I can. "But we won't have much time once it gets here. His demons will be all over us."_

"_We won't need much time. Just long enough to send you back to them."_

_Back to them. Back. Back to my family. Back to the way things used to be. Back to a world where I don't exist. Where I might never exist._

_She walks over to the attic wall, and uses a piece of chalk to draw the triquetra onto the wooden boards._

"_Hurry before he finds us."_

_She continues to draw the triquetra onto the wall, quickly and efficiently. Then she turns around, and everything's different. _

"_Come on. We're going home."_

"_What?"_

_A simply silence, and there's more light, everything's changing._

"_Just let me finish what I started." Bianca says once more, but she's not wearing the same thing, she's in leather, the way she __looked the first time we met, red shirt, white skirt. "You'll feel better soon. I promise."_

_Ink blots marr the memory, and dull greys mix with colours._

"That's it. Easy does it."

My eyelids open and the dark fades away.

"Slow breaths."

Bianca.

Iremember it all, the memory, then before, the gardens, orbing away, and then pain, so much pain.

"What'd you do to me?" I growl and she replies with a look of annoyance.

"I just saved your life."

"By taking away my powers?"

She doesn't answer, only picks up the chalk and removes the frame from the wall, I sit up, intrigued.

"How are you gonna bring me back, anyway? That spell's a one-way door. It only goes backwards in time."

Ha!

But still she draws the triqetra.

"He created a new spell because of you. One that works both ways."

Damn it.

"I'm touched."

"You should be." Yeah like hell Bianca. "He's gone to a lot of trouble to get you back."

What are you? His lap dog?

"Yeah. I see that." Am I supposed to feel good about that?

"You know, you don't have to believe me, Chris, but this really is for the best."

"Oh, really? How's that?"

"Because this is your only chance to live. If I fail, he'll just keep sending more assassins back, and all they'll have to bring home is a body."

I think I'd prefer to die in this time, then give him the satisfaction.

"Doesn't matter." I say, my hand digging into my pocket. "There's nothing left in the future anymore anyway."

I toss the engagement ring onto the coffee table, and she stares at it for a moment, I wonder if she's hurt. I hope she is. I hope she feels pain, but her hardened eyes turn to look at me, and I lie back onto the couch as she heads back to the wall to continue her work.

I see her suddenly, in the clothes she was wearing before, or rather later, the clothes she will be wearing, and when we go back to the future, it will be the clothes she had worn before…

_She draws the triquetra on the wall, and tosses the chalk to the side behind a table._

"_It's time."_

"_I don't want to go. I don't want to leave you."_

_She looks at me for a moment then down at her hand, she takes of the ring, and my heart skips a beat. She puts it it in my __hand and folds my fingers around it._

"_Here, this'll remind you of why we're doing this, of what's waiting for you here."_

_She holds on to me, and I do the same, before pulling back slightly._

"_You just make sure you take care of the guards, ok?"_

_I refuse to say goodbye._

"_Then get out of here. Because if he finds you, if he knows you betrayed him, he'll kill you." The very thought sends shivers down my spine. _

"_Don't worry. Come on. I can take care of myself."_

_I nod. I know, but it doesn't stop me worrying. I lean forward, resting my head against hers, staying in the moment, before moving away and stepping in front of the stand, the one I had always been too small to reach, and then after I'd begged and begged, Mom would give in and take it down for me to see._

_I look at the piece of paper in my hand and read out the incantation._

"_I call upon the ancient power  
__To help us in this darkest hour.  
__Let the Book return to this place,  
__Claim refuge in its rightful space."  
_

_And there it is, it falls from nowhere and lands on the stand. It's rightful place._

"_It worked." I'm a little surprised myself. _

"_The spell! Find the spell."_

_Right. I turn the pages rapidly, wishing there was some kind of index. Then I see it, the paragraph, entwined with colours on the parchment._

"_Hear these words. Hear the rhyme.  
__Heed the hope within my mind.  
__Send me back to where I'll find  
__What I wish in place and time."_

_I look at her_

_What if it didn't work? What if I wasn't powerful enough and now with the book here, he'll kill us. Then it happens, white and blue lights shimmer on the wall where the chalk was, and outline of the triquetra, shining. The portal's opened._

_I walk towards it, and she stays behind. I'm leaving her behind. I turn to look at her, to say something, to stare, and a demon shimmers in behind her, grabbing her._

"_Bianca!" I cry, and she grabs the demon's arm, turning and twisting, such speed and presision. _

_She can take care of herself._

_But I can't just leave._

_She can take care of herself_

_But what if there's more._

_The demon is down and she sees me still there._

"_Go! Go!" She yells and the demon knocks her down. _

_Oh god. _

_But she gets the upper hand, she always does. I gulp down the fear and walk through the portal, letting it close behind me._

"You really expect me to jump into this thing like before?"

"Not without a fight, no."

I sigh and step back from her, close to the window, contemplating jumping, and then I turn to look at her, accusingly.

"How can you be so cold? How can you just stand there and pretend like we never meant anything to each other?"

"I don't have a choice."

"Bianca, please don't do this. Don't give up on everything that we fought for."

"I'm not." She says, her ice-queen-act slipping for a second. "I'm just hoping we can find another way." She looks away from me, and then asks if I'm ready, the queen back in place.

I say nothing, there's nothing to say. What can I do without my powers? I'm alone, and I have no choice.

I hear the tinkling of orbs.

"Hey! Future girl." A familiar voice cries, and I spin around to see Piper throw a vial at her. I couldn't take it if she died evil or no.

Bianca's athame appears in her hand and flies through the air, breaking the vial, time slowing as she shimmers to Pipers side, who quickly freezes the knife, Bianca takes hold of the knife and puts it at Pipers neck.

"You were saying?" Bianca says, replying to Pipers confidence earlier, and now her surprise.

"Wow. She is good." Phoebe says impressed, as Paige takes a step forward.

"I can kill her in half the time it takes you to even think about it."

"Yeah, well, we still have enough potion to vanquish you."

"Maybe. But then you really will have to hope the Power of Two will do, won't you, Paige? Oh, you'd be surprised what's in the history books. Now, put the vials down slowly."

Paige and Phoebe do so, and I plead with Bianca to stop.

"Bianca, don't. Let her go, and I promise I'll go with you."

Don't hurt her, please god don't hurt her.

"Chris, what are you doing?" Paige asks, as if it isn't obvious, I'm saving her life!

"If you kill her, there won't be a future for either one of us to go back to, and you know it." I say to Bianca.

Yet another hint to be ignored.

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll see if you live long enough." Bianca says coolly, letting Piper go. Stepping back towards the wall, towards me.

"Piper, freeze them." Paige cries, and Piper does so. Bianca turns around, and for a moment I contemplate faking it.

"Ah! Ok, I get why she didn't freeze, but why didn't he freeze?"

"Unless he's a-." Phoebe stutters.

"I'm a witch, too?"

They look so surprised…

"That's right. Part witch, part whitelighter. Just like you, Paige."

Oh come on, I'm dropping hints and you just keep missin' 'em. Think about it! Paige is half whitelighter because her mother was a witch. Her father was a whitelighter. Figure it out, stop torturing me like this!

"You lied to us?"

And that's all I get.

"I had to. It was the only way I could get you to trust me."

"Trust you!" Phoebe says incredulously.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter anyway."

I failed. Simple as. All I've got left in store for me in the future is death, I don't care what Bianca says, Wyatt's promises aren't worth anything to anyone but fools.

"So that's it? You're just gonna leave?

"I don't have a choice. She's stripped my powers."

Piper stares at me, and I do the same.

I always got told how much I looked like her, always. Dad used to look at me, smiling, seeing something I could not. Wyatt hated it; he hated me getting the attention from our relatives, especially when they commented on the similarities between me and mom.

I wish she could see it, I wanted her to all along, to announce I was Chris Perry and for her to correct me, but she never did, she just continued to doubt me. Not trust me, hate me, and now my fiancee, well former fiancee, is leading me to my own death.

"Looks like Leo's gonna have to fix that floorboard without me." I say cryptically, not daring to risk anything else.

"Let's go." I say, turning to Bianca, looking at her straight in the eyes. She waves her hand without looking, I take her hand, and she grasps it tightly.

I turn back as the light engulfs us, praying they know what I meant.

As we walk through, the blue lights fading away, and the dark attic of the future coming to view, I feel a sense of dread, at the welcome party of demons standing, waiting.

"Welcome home, Chris." I hear him say, and the demons back away, revealing his imposing figure, stepping forward into the light, his long blonde curls resting on his shoulders, his eyes blazing.

"Hello, Wyatt." I say, as coldly as I can muster.

I glare at him and he does the same before walking around the attic, stepping atop the squeaky floorboard.

"They're no threat to me." He says, walking towards us, and his demons shimmer out of the room.

"Et tu, Chris? Of all the people to betray me-"

"I didn't go back to betray you, Wyatt. I went back to save you."

"Save me? Ha. From what?" He looks up and mocks.

"From whatever evil it was that turned you."

"That's always been your problem, Chris. Stuck in the old good-versus-evil morass. I'm so past that. It's all about power. It's as simple as that."

No, it's never as simple as that, nothing is.

"And whoever has the most power wins. Is that it?"

"That's it. That's why I keep this museum intact. To remind everyone the power from which I was born and that which I possess."

"Too bad the rest of the city isn't faring as well as your little shrine here." I say stepping forward. He does the same.

"You know, if anyone else tried what you tried, I'd kill them on the spot. But you-."

Ha am I supposed to be grateful? That for once you feel a bit of favoritism to me, your brother, than you do to your demons?

"-I've forgiven Bianca. I can forgive you, too, if you promise never to cross me again."

"I think you know me better than that."

"I thought you said you could talk some sense into him." He says, no longer talking to me.

Bianca steps forward, and she's right by my side/

"Leave her out of this." I say, my anger filtering through the cracks of my shielding cold gaze.

He raises his hand, making a fist and I know instantly what he's doing, because I can do it too. He cuts of my air supply and I start to choke. I open and close my mouth, desperate for air, sinking to my knees, unable to breathe, both hands clutching at my throat as though there were some kind of collar that could be removed to stop this.

"Pardon me?"

Can't breathe. Can't breathe, and then I'm skidding across the floor, unable to stop, crashing headfirst into the cabinet, breaking it, causing rubble to fall on top of me.

"Chris!" She cries as I yell in pain.

He steps towards me menacingly and I try to get up but he grabs me by the scruff of the neck, looking straight into my eyes before sending me crashing into the table in the attic. The wood breaking once more, splintering beneath me. I weakly try to get up once more. Missing the lack of these fights in the past.

Without my powers, he can kill me, I hope the girls caught my drift, I hope they realised it wasn't just a weird DIY fetish I have.

"You promised you wouldn't hurt him!" Bianca cries angrily.

"And you promised you'd turn him, just like I turned you. At least, I thought I had."

She runs towards me, a tear falling down her face, as she kneels down in front of me.

"Chris , please. I didn't bring you here to die." She pleads and I look to the floorboard.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." I reassure her and look at the floorboard again, hearing it creak as my brother shifts his weight.

"I think."

I get up to my feet, but don't bother standing up fully, I fly forward towards him, screaming,and he sidesteps, sending me crashing into the tables in the corner with ease.

"Have you lost your mind?" He taunts, knowing I was never a match for him when it came to fighting each other, not since he changed.

I look over at him, disgusted with what he still is.

He raises his hand and I'm up in the air, being hanged, my throat constricts and I can't breath. My legs hang uselessly as I struggle against his telekinetic grasp, choking me.

"I don't need you."

Then why the hell did you send her after me!

He powers up an energy ball, and I try feebly to move, to get loose from his grip, choking me, suspending me in the air.

Ifall to the ground suddenly, crashing to the floor, the impact only adding to the pain across my entire body. I see him freeze, his back arched, and from the sound, I know what Bianca's doing.

"Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast. I can't hold him for long." She gasps, and I see her again, the Bianca I know, the one I love.

I get to my feet, scrambling for the floorboard, bending over, I lift up the carpet and pull up the board, and there inside is a piece of worn paper. Sheer relief is the only feeling that runs through me. They realized what I was doing!

I unfold it, dust and dirt falling from it.

"_Power of the witches rise,  
__Come to me from across the skies.  
__Return my magic, give me back  
__All that was taken from the attack!"_

I feel stronger again, and I take a breath. I see Bianca unable to hold him anymore. I see Wyatt kick out behind him and send her flying across the room.

"No!" I scream as she falls, as she's impaled.

I shoot my hand to the side, sending him flying, crashing high up against the wall.

I see Bianca looking at her own wound, trying to calm herself down, I run to her side.

"Bianca! No. No." I mutter, unable to bear it.

"Haven't we been here before?" She smiles, though still in pain.

"Maybe we will be again."

But not like this, not now, but happier, better. Together.

"Maybe." She nods.

I can't stand this, my head falls to her shoulder as I whimper, its too much.

"No." I whisper, and she puts the ring into my hand, taking a breath.

"If you can finish what we started…" She says softly.

I look down at the ring in my hand, and As she whispers 'Hurry' I see Wyatt stirring.

"Take the spell so he can't send anyone else." She tells me, I look back at her.

"Go!" She urges quickly and I run towards the stand where the book sits.

I find the page and begin to recite the words.

"Hear these words. Hear the rhyme.  
Heed the hope within my mind."

I look up and see an energy ball flying towards me, I duck, but I refuse to stop.

"---Send me back to where I'll find  
What I wish in place and time."

Wyatt gets to his feet, and I tear the spell from the book, running forward.

"No!" I hear him cry out as I lunge forward into the portal.

Lights flash, blue lights turn to grey as the world comes into focus and I'm thrust forward to the dark world, the brown attic floor flying towards me. Or am I flying towards it?

"Ow."

That's an understatement as I land hard on ground, every single bruise I know are all across my body thanks to Wyatt's beating, screaming at me.

"Oh, my god. Are you ok?"

No.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I mumble as I stand up. "Nice spell."

"But we just put it in there, like, two seconds ago."

"Well, you see, the way time travel works –." Leo starts to answer Phoebe's querie, almost patronizingly, but genuinely wanting to explain at the same time.

"Yeah, I don't wanna know. I already have a little headache, thanks." Phoebe interrupts.

"You have some serious explaining to do, young man."

"_Don't look at me like that, young man." I hear mom say from where I hide in the hallway, staring into the living room, and can practically hear the thoughts going around my big brothers head, about him being almost ten years old. "If I catch you fighting with your brother like that once more, I will strip you of your powers, you hear me?" She says with utter conviction._

"_I can't believe he ratted on me." Was all Wyatt mutters, clearly annoyed._

"_He didn't, he wouldn't tell me anything, I saw you! I saw you use your own powers against Chris, and I won't tolerate it, Wyatt, now get to your room!" He stomps away, he sees me in the corner, and mouths "You're dead." Making a line across his throat. At the time, things like that had been rare..._

"I know. Listen, I'm sorry I lied to you. I really am but--."

"No! No "buts." It's about time you tell us the truth. Now."

Fine! In the future, Wyatt's a murderer. He attacks, he kills. He's a tyrant, a ruler of evil, aligning himself with demons, with an unquenchable thirst for power. He wants to kill me because I'm his little brother, because I betrayed him, and put everything on hold to save him, to save the future by going to the past. I've lied to you so many times I've lost count, I've betrayed you too and I've lost Bianca, all for this ass-hole, gurgling in his crib.

Leo's waiting for an answer, I see him look.

Oh yeah, Leo, you're my dad, and Piper you're my mom, you happy now?

"I can't." I say, the monologue in my head fading away. "But not because I don't want to, but because there's only so much I can tell you without the future being changed too much."

"Uh, isn't that your whole point? To come and change the future?" Paige asks, and I shrug, shaking my head at the same time.

"Yeah, but that was supposed to be more like a surgical strike."

"To save Wyatt." Leo added.

"To save Wyatt." I nod, remembering what he'd just put me through.

"What about Bianca?" Phoebe asks, and I knew it was coming. I sigh, pushing down my emotions, refusing to show them.

"Bianca won't be a threat to anyone anymore.

"I'm sorry."

"Me, too."

"So you guys still all right with me hanging around here?" There's a pause, and I wonder if they'd kick me out.

"Absolutely." Leo answers for all of them. I can't stop the smile spreading across my face.

"But the next time you're in trouble, you've got to tell us. Trust works both ways."

"Ok."

_Dad_

I walk out of the attic door, down the stairs and past the bedroom door. I see Wyatt standing up in his playpen, looking up at me. I stare at the boy, and mutter with as much conviction as I can, taking advantage of the shift in power, as far as age is concerned.

"If I can't save you, I swear to god I'll stop you."

**It's done! **

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